The present invention relates in general to labels and, more particularly, to labels for products and product containers.
Labels, typically in the form of flexible sheet or web material attached to an object, have long been used to identify the object, its contents and/or display other information associated with the object. Such labels, which are normally fabricated from paper or plastic, are usually adhesively secured to the object by a contact or pressure sensitive adhesive material.
Many objects such as jars, bottles, cans and similar receptacles support xe2x80x9cwrapxe2x80x9d labels which cover substantially all of their circumferential side wall surfaces. With these labels, essentially the entire outer surface of the label is available as an indicia bearing surface. A label covering all or nearly all of the circumferential area of an object such as a product container is oftentimes sufficient to convey desired advertising, content information, instructions, warnings, and the like. In many circumstances, however, an object""s physical dimensions detrimentally limit the available print space of the label borne thereby.
A common solution to the problem of limited label print area, as taught for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,458,374, 5,439,721 and 5,403,636, is to affix an additional multi-sheet leaflet or xe2x80x9coutsertxe2x80x9d to the exterior of the label. While generally effective for providing additional print space, such leaflets complicate the label assembly process in that at least three fabrication steps must be performed, apart printing and placement of any necessary adhesive and release layers, in order to manufacture the label. That is, the base label must be cut to desired dimensions, the leaflet must be similarly cut and/or folded, and the leaflet must be secured to the base label. Moreover, the multiple layers of the leaflet may add considerable thickness and bulk to the label construction. Such label designs may also be unwieldy to the end user of the product if the leaflet is folded in a complicated pattern and is difficult to refold into its compact folded initial configuration. Further, because the base label and leaflet are discrete parts which must be joined to one another during the assembly process, the possibility exists that the leaflet may become detached from the base label and thereafter become misplaced. In that event, the additional printed information borne by the leaflet and, thus, the utility of the leaflet itself are lost.
An advantage exists, therefore, for a unitary, i.e., one-piece, label construction which offers enhanced printable surface area capacity versus wrap labels of conventional design.
Other details, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description of the presently preferred embodiments and presently preferred methods of practicing the invention proceeds.
These objects are achieved by providing a unitary label suitable for attachment to an object having a circumference. The label comprises a first label portion; a first adhesive means for affixing the first label portion about the circumference of the object; and a second label portion contiguous with the first label portion and operable to overlie the first label portion when the label is affixed to the object, wherein the first label portion and the second label portion have a combined length which is greater than the circumference of the object.